Toners with fluorescence agent and toner sets including the toners

Abstract

A toner set includes a plurality of toners, at least one toner but less than all toners of the toner set including binder, colorant and fluorescence agent and remaining additional toners including binder, colorant and free of fluorescence agent. At least a first toner grouping and a second toner grouping of the toner set form a combination, the first and second groupings of the combination exhibiting a substantially same color under ambient light conditions upon image formation. The first toner grouping and the second toner grouping of the combination contain a different amount of the fluorescence agent, wherein upon exposure to activating energy, the fluorescence agent fluoresces to cause a visible change in the color of a pattern formed in an image by the first toner grouping as compared to the second toner grouping.

1. A method of forming an image, comprising:
 with a toner set comprised of a plurality of toners, at least one toner but less than all toners of the toner set comprising binder, colorant and fluorescence agent and remaining additional toners comprised of binder, colorant and free of fluorescence agent, wherein at least a first toner grouping and a second toner grouping of the toner set form a combination, the first and second groupings of the combination exhibiting a substantially same color and a substantially same gloss under ambient light conditions upon image formation, the first toner grouping and the second toner grouping of the combination containing a different amount of the fluorescence agent, wherein upon exposure to activating energy, the fluorescence agent fluoresces to cause a visible change in the color of a pattern formed in an image by the first toner grouping as compared to the second toner grouping, 
 forming a latent image of a first pattern on a photoreceptor, developing the first pattern with the first toner grouping, and subsequently transferring the developed first pattern to a recording medium, and 
 forming a latent image of a second pattern on a photoreceptor, developing the second pattern with the second toner grouping, and subsequently transferring the developed second pattern to the recording medium. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the second pattern is transferred to the recording medium after the first pattern is transferred. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein at least portions of the second pattern are formed over portions of the first pattern. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising exposing the image to the activating energy to initiate fluorescence of the fluorescence agent in the first and/or second pattern. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 4 , wherein upon fluorescence, the first pattern exhibits a color different from the color exhibited by the second pattern. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first pattern or the second pattern includes the fluorescence agent and is comprised of digital information. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the digital information is machine readable, and the method further comprises exposing the image to the activating energy to initiate fluorescence of the fluorescence agent in the first or the second pattern and reading the digital information with a machine during the fluorescence. 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein either the first pattern or the second pattern comprises information indicating the authenticity of the image.